Treatment of mattes and raw metals.



rrnn Stratus PATENT Unmet,

HERMANN GEORGES CHRISTIAN THOFEHRN, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,297, dated April14, 1903.

Application filed December 17, 1902.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, I-IERMANN GEORGES CHRISTIAN THOFEHRN, civilengineer, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident ofNo. 350 Rue St. Honorc, Paris, in the Republic of France, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Treatment of Mattes and RawMetals in Metallurgical Hearth-Furnaces, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is an improved treatment of mattes and rawmetals in metallurgic hearth-furnaces, reverberatory furnaces, Siemensor Martin gas-furnaces, and the like,consisting in blowing onto thesurface of the metallic bath by means of blast-pipes distributed aroundthe furnace a mixture composed of a fluid oxidizing agent under pressureand consisting of'steam and air, a solid oxidizing agent formed by oxidsof the metals to be treated previously brought to a suitable state ofdivision, a metallurgic flux for forming scoria or volatile productswith the metals to be eliminated and which is also brought to a state ofsuitable division, and hydrocarbons for increasing the heat in the zoneof reaction. This treatment allows of converting copper mattes intometallic copper, refining new copper, converting nickel mattes intometallic nickel, converting tin or lead mattes into metallic tin orlead, and of converting cast-iron into steel or puddling-iron. Theoxidizing action of the jet is very powerful, owing to the mixture offluid oxidizing agent (steam and air) and the solid oxidizing agent,(oxids of the metals to be treated suitably pulverized.) These oxids canbe extracted from the minerals themselves or can be obtained fromoxidized mattes or by the direct oxidation of the metals. In all casesSerial No. 135,608. (No specimens.)

they are brought to a suitable state of divi sion before being used. Assoon as the jet comes in contact with the bath it produces energetic andrapid oxidation of the substances to be eliminated, which oxidation isaided by the high temperature produced by the hydrocarbons andimmediately in the same zone of reaction. The flux simultaneously blowninto the jet acts with the aid of the high temperature on the substanceswhich have been oxidized and produces scoria,which floats and can beremoved at will. Thus all impurities are progressively eliminated andthe metallic bath remains with the desired degree of purity.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- An improved treatment of mattes and rawmetals such as copper mattes, raw copper, nickel mattes, tin or leadmattes, cast-iron, with the view of obtaining metallic copper, nickel,tin, lead, steel or puddling-iron, consisting in blowing in ahearth-furnace onto the surface of a metallic bath formed of mattes orraw metals and by means of blastpipes distributed around the furnace, amixture composed of a fluid oxidizing agent formed of steam and air, asolid oxidizing agent formed by oxide of the metals to be treatedpreviously brought to a state of grains, a metallurgic flux previouslyreduced into grains, and hydrocarbons, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

HERMANN GEORGES CHRISTIAN TllOFEllRN.

Witnesses:

Louis Mosh, EDWARD P. MACLEAN.

